The X-Men franchise is in a transitional place at the moment. While Logan is making tons of money and being hailed as one of the best installments in the universe, a question marks looms over the main franchise. X-Men: Apocalypse was critically panned, and First Class trilogy stars Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender have reached the end of their contracts. It's unclear if that trio will be back for the next film, although now it appears that one of the supporting characters is ready to suit back up.
Lana Condor made her X-Men debut in Apocalypse as the teenage mutant Jubilee. While some of her work ended up on the cutting room floor, the actress recently posted to Instagram, announcing she'd ready to return to the role.
Well, that's one X-Men actor we don't have to worry about. Only a billion more to go.
It shouldn't come to much of a surprise that Lana Condor is ready to slip back into Jubilee's yellow jacket. X-Men: Apocalypse introduced a ton of new characters to the franchise, giving us a glimpse into younger version of Cylops, Jean Grey, Storm, Nightcrawler, and yes Jubilee. This was likely done so that the franchise could cover its bases, just in case stars like Jennifer Lawrence decide to depart from their roles. Adding these young newcomers will allow the X-Men story to continue, regardless of which classic characters return.
And from what we're hearing about the next X-Men installment, it looks like the focus will largely be on these newcomers. Early rumors indicate that the next X-Men movie will be revolve around the Dark Phoenix storyline. This iconic plot was heavily hinted at during X-Men: Apocalypse, as Sophie Turner's Jean Grey had a difficult time controlling her massive psychic powers. During the movie's third act, Professor X tells Jean to finally release her power, and she saves the day as a fiery phoenix appears behind her.
I'm personally hoping that Jubilee becomes a more active role in the X-Men franchise. As a product of 90's television, I grew up watching the X-Men Animated Series, of which Jubilee was a main character. While her powers are significantly less cool than favorites like Storm, it would be great to see a badass or more capable version of the character in live-action. And while Apocalypse did set up the character, she was excluded from the film's main conflicts after the mansion exploded.
Alas, we'll just have to wait and see what happens to the X-Men franchise as details are released. Be sure to stick with us here at CinemaBlend for updates as they become available.
